The present invention relates to a robot and its control method, and is suitably applied to a pet robot.
Of late a 4-legged walking pet robot has been proposed and developed by this patent applicant, which acts according to the directions from a user and surroundings it is put in. Such a pet robot takes the shape of a dog or cat kept in an ordinary home and acts autonomously according to the directions from the user and surroundings it is put in. A set of motions is defined as xe2x80x98behaviorxe2x80x99 in the following explanation.
It is imagined that if such a pet robot is provided with the function of xe2x80x98growingxe2x80x99 like a real dog or cat, the user may get a much larger sense of affinity and satisfaction out of the pet robot, thereby increasing the amusement of the pet robot.
With the pet robot provided with the xe2x80x98growthxe2x80x99 function if some more innovative contrivance is incorporated into it, that is capable of retaining the user""s interest and precluding the user getting tired of the pet robot""s behaviors and motions in such a case that the pet robot ceases to grow any longer or that it takes a long period of time until it resumes growing, much more amusement may be induced out of the pet robot.
The present invention has been made considering the foregoing and intends to offer a robot and control method for it which may increase the amusement on the part of the user.
In order to solve the subject matter, with the present invention the robot is provided with a behavior and/or motion generation means for generating behaviors and/or motions based on the behavior and/or motion models, and a behavior and/or motion model transforming means for transforming behavior and/or motion models into a higher level of behavior and/or motion models at a given timing based on at least one of the input history from the outside and the behavior and/or motion history of its own, so that the behaviors and motions are transformed as if a pet robot were xe2x80x98growingxe2x80x99. Thus a robot can be realized, whose amusement quality (entertainingness) is greatly increased for the user.
Also, with the present invention the robot is provided with a behavior and/or motion generation means for generating behaviors and/or motions based on the behavior and motions models, and a first transforming means for transforming behaviors and/or motions into a higher level of behaviors and/or motions in order, according to a set of first given conditions, and a second transforming means for transforming behaviors and/or motion models into the same or lower level of behaviors and/or motions, according to a set of second given conditions based on at least one of the input history from the outside and behaviors and/or motions history of its own, so that the behaviors and motions of the robot are prevented from being tired of. Thus a robot can be realized, whose amusement quality (entertainingness) is further increased for the user.
Furthermore, with the present invention the robot is provided with a behavior and/or motion generation means for generating behaviors and/or motions based on the behavior and/motion models, and a behavior and/or motion transforming means for transforming behaviors and/or motions into behavior and/or motion models of a higher growth level at a given timing based on the evaluation results obtained by evaluating its own behaviors in accordance with given evaluation functions. In this manner the behaviors and motions can be transformed as if the robot were growing. Thus a robot can be realized whose amusement quality (entertainingness) is greatly increased for the user.
Furthermore, with the present invention the robot having a plurality of behavior and/or motion models for a plurality of behaviors and/or motions, is provided with a behavior and/or motion generation means for generating behaviors and/or motions based on the behavior and/or motion models of corresponding behavior patterns, and a transforming means for transforming each behavior and/or motion model of the corresponding behavior pattern, with the use of which each behavior and/or motion model of the corresponding behavior pattern can be transformed with different regulations preset for each behavior and/or motion model, so that the individuality of the robot can be diversified. Thus a robot can be realized whose amusement quality (entertainingness) is greatly enhanced.
Furthermore, with the present invention the control method for a robot comprises the first step wherein behaviors and/or motions are generated based on the behavior and/or motion models, and the second step where behavior and/or motion models are transformed into behavior and/or motions models of a higher level at a given timing based on at least one of the input history from the outside and behavior and/or motion history of its own, so that behaviors and motions can be. transformed as if the robot were growing. Thus a control method can be realized, due to which the amusement quality (entertainingness) of the robot is substantially enhanced.
Furthermore, with the present invention the control method for a robot comprises the first step where behaviors and/or motions are generated based on the behavior and/or motion models, and the second step wherein behavior and/or motion models are transformed into behavior and/or motion models of a higher growth level based on the first given conditions, and wherein behavior and/or motion models are transformed into behavior and/or motion models of an equal or a lower growth level based according to second given conditions based on at least one of the input history from the outside and behavior and/or motion history of its own, so that the behaviors and motions of a robot are effectively prevented from being tired of. Thus a control method can be realized, which increases the amusement of a robot substantially.
Furthermore, with the present invention the control method for a robot comprises the first step wherein behaviors and/or motions are generated based on the behavior and motion models and the second step wherein behaviors and/or motions are transformed into behavior and motion models of a higher growth level at a given timing based on the evaluation results obtained by evaluating its own behaviors in accordance with given evaluation functions, so that the behaviors and motions are transformed as if a robot were growing. Thus the control method for a robot can be realized, whose entertainingness is substantially enhanced.
Furthermore, with the present invention the control method for a robot having a plurality of behavior and/or motion models for a plurality of behavior patterns, comprises the first step wherein behaviors and motions are generated based on each behavior and/or motion of the corresponding behavior pattern, and the second step where each behavior and/or motion model of the corresponding behavior pattern is transformed responding to the influence from the outside, and wherein each behavior and/or motion model of the corresponding behavior pattern is transformed according to a different regulation preset for each behavior and/or motion model, so that the individuality of the robot can be diversified. Thus the control method for a robot can be realized that increases the amusement quality (entertainingness) greatly.